The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or printer, a communication system for the maintenance of an image forming apparatus, a maintenance service method of an image forming apparatus, and a medium storing information to be used in maintenance.
Network printers are in widespread use, and data is extensively transmitted and received across networks.
Meanwhile, image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and standalone type printers are not connected to networks in almost all cases.
Even when an image forming apparatus is connected to a local area network (to be referred to as a LAN hereinafter) and this LAN is connected to an external network, the image forming apparatus cannot be readily connected to an external system in many instances owing to fire walls or the like. That is, presently most image forming apparatuses cannot exchange data with external systems via communication lines or channels.
Japanese Patent No. 2917344 proposes an invention by which an image forming apparatus and an external system are connected via a communication line, and the external system determines, e.g., whether the apparatus can be used, by exchanging status information of the apparatus and control signals. However, this system is difficult to construct for the reason described above.